


Pastel Blue

by sserpente



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki TV series, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, TVA, Time Travel, Time Variance Authority - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:07:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28739223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sserpente/pseuds/sserpente
Summary: After his lucky escape, the Tesseract takes Loki on new adventures–but unfortunately, his journeys through space do not go unnoticed and he soon ends up on the TVA’s radar. Working for them–albeit reluctantly–he keeps finding himself in the company of a young woman, Jess, who works in the linguistics department and who has a truly strange effect on him. Smitten by her confidence and smugness, he unwillingly lets her wreak havoc in his heart and seeks her presence like a bee hunting for honey without really knowing why. But he is determined to find out–he means to escape his new prison anyway.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Gaaaah, I haven’t nearly pre-written as many chapters as I would like to have pre-written before starting to post but I just can’t wait any longer! I finally want to share this story with you guys, I am so hyped about it! So, without further ado--enjoy the first chapter of “Pastel Blue”! I hope you like it! ♥
> 
> I'll be adding more tags and characters as the story progresses!

__

_Tick Tock._ That clock on the wall was driving her crazy, it had been ever since she had been assigned to this dull office. She spent most of her time in the lab, working in midst of dangerous and highly sensitive equipment and delicate devices.

_Tick Tock._ She was going to _smash_ it—with a big hammer, perhaps, or even better, a jackhammer. It was ugly too. Made of wood and obviously antique, late 18th century probably. What had Mobius been thinking?

Oh yeah, _him._ Mobius M. Mobius, her I-am-not-your-father-but-I-will-treat-you-like-my-daughter supervisor and babysitter, thank you very much. Granted, he was _old_ enough to be her father, taking into consideration that in her mid-twenties, there wasn’t much need for a parental figure in her life anymore.

_Tick Tock._ She sighed. The pile of paperwork she had been handed this morning had seemingly not shrunk by even an inch. She could swear she had not been stalling today. Breakfast, work, lunch break, work… _Tick Tock._ She rolled her eyes. No. This was unreasonable. Grunting a few not so decent swear words, she gathered the spreadsheets and dozens of handwritten notes, sending the calming ruffling of paper through the air and exited the room without so much as thinking about what Mobius would think about her wandering places around the TVA during work hours again.

Besides, the kitchen and common room right around the corner of her desired destination was equipped with the _best_ coffee machine modern technology had to offer. Hot chocolate with mint and a hint of vanilla? _Oh yes, please!_

At this time of the day, the lab in question was deserted. Pens, pliers and other small tools lay scattered all over the metal tables as if someone had just finished their work for the day. Some of the devices in here could cause major damage if activated accidentally or even at the wrong time. Now there was the thrill, the proximity to _endless_ possibilities.

After turning a few laps around the tables to see if anything had changed or improved at all since the last time she was here (which would be yesterday), she eventually made herself comfortable at the huge desk fully equipped with a cup holder, sockets and a fancy table lamp. The chair was the best part, enabling her to swirl around whenever she felt like she needed a refreshing spin.

She had just pulled out her burrow from her hair, having twirled it around one of the lighter strands. Her guess was the sun had bestowed its warm kisses upon her chocolate brown hair in the summer. Leaning over her papers, she got back to work.

But it was only five minutes until she heard the heavy metal door with the see-through glass panel being pushed open, followed by someone clearing their throat.

“Jess, do you have a moment?” Mobius asked. Jess tilted her head, the slightest frown accompanied by a gentle smirk decorating her face. _What, no chastising for changing work locations today?_ She swirled around on her chair, expecting to see the man in question in his grey suit and the signature scar across his nose stare her down with arms akimbo. Instead, he was holding on to the door tensely, right next to him, seemingly out of place in the threshold, a man with raven hair and the most stunning pair of blue eyes she had ever had the pleasure to lock her gaze with. Her eyes were blue as well—Loki’s, however, seemed to shimmer green in the artificial light of the lab. She didn’t get much daylight, all the way down here.

“M?” Jess smiled. She rose, ignoring the slight trembling of her knees as she approached the two, keeping a safe distance. Her heart skipped a beat with every single step, her chest resembling a magnet pulling her towards Loki like a powerless needle.

“I’ve told you, repeatedly, to stay in your own office.” _Ah, there it was._

“I have asked you, repeatedly, to re-locate my office _here._ ” She retorted with a smug expression, eyes darting over to Loki. Mobius shook his head. “An introduction is probably redundant. Jess, this is Loki.”

He was wearing the orange prison clothes TVA had manufactured a few years back. She had to admit, orange suited him rather well, bringing out his cheekbones and the dark hair framing his flawless face. His lips were thin, his jawline to die for. She would be lying if she denied his attractiveness. Loki _was_ a god, after all. Most prominent to his appearance, however, were the shackles around his naked wrists and the metal collar hiding most of his long neck—a chunky but firm reminder his powers were all but a myth as long as the light was blinking bright red like a traffic light screaming _stop_ at him like a sleep-deprived police officer.

Loki lifted his chin, allowing pride and confidence to flood his aura. Out of all the people he had encountered in this strange place so far, alterations of his very own self on an old-fashioned projector included, _she_ was by far the oddest. Jess, so he learned, wore a colourful choker around her neck as well as two bracelets of the same kind. They reminded him of sugar pearls. If he had asked her about them, she could have revealed to him that they were indeed candy necklaces—and that she wore them because Mobius had stressed there were no edible snacks allowed at work. The elegant pieces of jewellery hanging down her earlobes, however, appeared to be non-edible. Two delicate silver charms, holding what Loki identified to be moonstones. They suited her, complementing the long brown hair and the outstanding colour of her eyes. Blue—just like his.

“The God of Mischief.” She completed, the fraction of a second after he had studied her conspicuous appearance. She added a court but polite nod. “I was kind of hoping to meet you one day.” And so she was. The rumours had spread across the entire facility like wildfire, reaching even the Minutemen based in different timelines. Loki, the Norse God of Mischief, had stolen an Infinity Stone and escaped his respective timeline—a timeline reaching all the way back to 2012—creating a new branch of reality entirely. Unsupervised, he could have caused serious damage to the very fabric of time and the multiverse. He had to be stopped, had to be captured, had to be _persuaded._

Mobius had expressed his interest in getting the infamous Trickster to work for him frequently. Loki was skilled, intelligent, witty, a talented fighter and most of all, one of the most capable users of magic the multiverse had to offer. His stories of victory and defeat were known to most of the TVA and yet, they resonated with her to an extent her colleagues could never fathom. Above everything Loki had had to experience—above all Loki _will have had_ to experience—there was a thick layer of loneliness clouding his aura like a blanket of ice-cold snow. It was a suitable comparison, given his heritage.

“I didn’t just hear that.” Mobius intervened. He sized her up like an unpredictable teenager. “The God of Mischief has retired. Loki here has just agreed on working for us.”

_“With_ you,” Loki interrupted. “Not _for_ you. Reluctantly.” That would leave her wondering what exactly it was Mobius had offered him in return.

Jess chuckled. “Now that is a matter of opinion, trust me. I would know.” Raising an eyebrow, she gave Mobius a challenging glare.

“I need you to cover a shift.” He responded matter-of-factly. Jess’ eyebrow rose even higher. “Reese just jumped back from 1792.”

“And?”

“He almost made his personal acquaintance with the guillotine. They’re patching him up in the hospital wing right now.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Jess took a step back, realising just what kind of favour, no, requirement Mobius would ask for. Reese had been in the TVA for more than three decades—he had not aged a day since his accession as a matter of fact—and his experience and excessive excitement over the Avengers had made him the perfect candidate to keep an eye on Loki while he was still not to be trusted—if he was _ever_ going to be trusted, that was. He _was_ the God of Mischief, after all.

“I’m on probation, remember? What makes you think _I_ should cover for him of all people?” Loki rolled his eyes and for a moment, you almost felt sorry for excluding him from a conversation that was clearly about him.

“Call it an experiment. Prove to me that we can rely on you and I’ll end your probation.” Jess resisted the urge to shake his hand off her shoulder when he leaned forward to touch her in a fatherly manner.

“Sir, do you have a moment?” A Minuteman had appeared behind them. Jess had never quite figured out how they moved so _quietly._ Their shoe soles must have been made of feathers. In turn, the stilettos she usually wore to smuggle a few more inches to her height were loud and made satisfying noises ricocheting through the hallways when she walked, emitting confidence and even smugness. She needed that boost every once in a while.

Mobius nodded. As he released Jess’ shoulder and pushed past Loki—who did, much to her amusement, not move an inch for the senior manager—he pointed a finger at him. “Behave.”

The lab door fell shut behind him, drowning all noises from the outside like a soundproof recording room. Jess gaped at Loki for a second, her body once again threatening to overwhelm her with the magnetic pull she felt towards the Trickster, fascination setting her veins ablaze.

“You do not look human.” Loki suddenly said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Jess pouted.

“Excuse me? I am hoping you meant that as a compliment, I am as human as I’ll ever be.” Loki frowned, then responded with a hum.

“I take it you hop timelines for him too then, fixing the damage others have done.”

“Me? No.” Jess shook her head. “I am not a Minuteman. I wish I was, trust me, but I have got nothing to do with that, unfortunately. I work in the linguistics department, spending all day translating protocols and time recordings from all sorts of languages. Now I know what you’re thinking. With its technology, shouldn’t TVA be able to translate everything using a smart computer program?” She shrugged. “Well, technically you’re right. But there’s a bunch of languages out there that simply don’t exist either here on Earth or any other known realm. We’re only human—and a computer program is only as smart as its creator. It can’t translate a language that does not consist of words, for example, that would go against the very human comprehension of its programmer.”

“Then how do you speak them?” Loki probed.

“That’s my superpower. I don’t know _why_ I can understand them, I just… do. And what did it get me?” She raised her hands in a dramatic motion. “Paperwork. Lots of paperwork. The only way for me to get in on the real action is this place here. Take a look at this.” Loki watched her move towards what resembled a toaster, shaped like a metal suitcase that had been left open. Smiling, she reached for a shining red apple on the table and placed it on the black surface before activating the switch. She had seen the scientists do this dozens of times before. In fact, she was sure she could handle most of the devices in here in her sleep. As the small machine hummed to life, it sent a deafening vibration through the room and then, just like someone had hit fast-forward with a remote, the apple shrivelled and rotted.

“Pretty cool, huh? It works the other way around too once it recharged. They haven’t figured out how to make it work for _living_ beings, including humans, just yet, though. This is just a prototype anyway, the real thing is supposed to help re-animate the dead for a short amount of time to solve time crimes and shit. I swear I’d get a major in science if I lived another life. My father was one. Before he died, that is.” Jess wasn’t _quite_ sure what made her open up to the God of Mischief and tell her about her personal family drama. She usually babbled when nervousness got the better of her but this was a new level of openness entirely. They all knew her story, after all, but apart from Mobius, they all pretended they didn’t. “You see? TVA is not all bad, even if it may seem so at first. M can be an arsehole sometimes, I know. He calls our main timeline in which _everything began_ ,” Jess continued with a dramatic voice, “the Null-Time Zone. I never figured out why and he won’t tell me.”

“Because you don’t listen, Jess.” Mobius answered, holding the door open with the Minuteman who had asked for his advice impatiently but mutely waiting for his turn again behind him.

“So?” She probed, pointing at the God of Mischief with her chin, her arms crossed. “If I am to play babysitter for a while, where am I staying? Where is Loki staying?”

“Your place.” Jess blinked, incredulousness spreading on her face like a clean swipe of butter on warm toasted bread.

“ _My_ place?”

“Your residential unit is supervised and equipped with modern alarm systems, just in case you decide to make trouble again, remember? We’ll position security outside the door in addition to that, killing two birds with one stone. Besides, it’s only temporary. Reese should be up and on his feet again in no time. The blade only grazed him before he made the jump back.”

“That does _not_ sound reassuring!” Jess stood up straight to prove her point and yet, even compared to Mobius, she was nowhere near tall enough to make an impact with her body language at this time.

“You can take the rest of the day off as compensation. Show Loki to your unit. Make yourselves acquainted. I’ll send security to collect him in five minutes—to the second!”

~*~

_She seems familiar almost… like part of me has known her forever._ It was a thought which jumped into Loki’s mind and implanted itself in his head like a parasite. A mere mortal, how could there possibly be a connection between them? But it wasn’t just magnetic fascination and intrigue. Loki felt a need to keep her in his presence much like she was about to be his cherished bride. Irritation crept up the back of his neck as he followed her through the branched corridors and back to the modern lift he had had to use upon his arrival.

He would only _love_ to know just what it was that had gotten her on probation. Abuse of machinery for her own selfish purposes, perhaps? A prank which had gone too far and done damage to the organisation? Murder? _No._ Despite her toughness, he could not imagine the delicate mortal standing next to him in the elevator being capable of killing anyone.

When the elevator doors slid open again, the young woman gave him an almost sheepish smile. She hardly appeared worried by having to escort _him_ all on her own, across empty hallways which were only too inviting to overpower her and escape. Something held him back. _She_ did, so he realised with another wave of irritation electrifying his body.

“…the most dangerous missions they usually leave to Justice Peace and Death’s Head. Ever heard of them? They are like celebrities around here.” He heard her say just then. But Loki couldn’t possibly take less interest in this so-called Time Variance _Authority._ All he needed to know was that it was yet another, partially human-led secret organisation imagining with the naivety of a child that they held power over him. SHIELD had made this mistake in the past and they had paid the bitter price. TVA would be no different.

“The units here are labelled with our initials and the department number. This one.” Jess pointed at the first door coming into sight to their right and quite apparently, Mobius had not made any empty promises concerning Jess’ safety and surveillance. As they turned around the corner, they were greeted by a grimly looking security officer clutching one of those small devices Loki identified as a Taser, one which of the like Darcy Lewis had once used on his brother. He kept a straight face even as Jess unlocked the residential unit using her fingerprint and entered but gave him a provocative smirk before following her.

His own chambers back on Asgard—another life entirely, so it seemed now—were a reflection of who he was with their green accents, the countless books, the tidiness and the ancient parchment rolls on his dark mahogany desk from Vanaheim. If anything, analysing her personal living space to the very last grain of dust would satisfy his need to learn just why he felt so drawn her, perhaps.

The first item of furniture he took in was the long bookshelf towering all the way up to the ceiling, every inch filled with clearly read books about as thick as his wrist. He made a note to study the titles later. A coffee table full of empty peanut shells and a new package of peanuts still sealed neatly in their plastic bag, a caramel sofa on which he found more sealed peanut bags as well as a golden cushion with cheesy pom-poms. A drawer, a TV with large speakers and another electronic gadget resembling a fridge and two separate doorways which led to a bathing area, so he presumed, and her bedroom. Even with the overall lack of more furniture in the room, Jess had somehow managed to add her very own personal touch to the sterile residential unit.

“The bathroom is to the right, you’ll find refreshments and snacks in the fridge next to the TV. My bedroom is out of bounds. I hope you enjoyed the tour.” She chuckled, grabbing a blue leather jacket from the hook on the entrance door behind them. “Big meals are eaten in the cafeteria at certain times of the day though. Mobius wants to strengthen the _team_ spirit but the cooks never say no to a late breakfast or a midnight snack if you ask them nicely.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t you feel like a prisoner in this place?” _A lackey for someone else to take the credit for your hard work_ , he added silently. He knew two of that kind—one being his brother, the other his alleged father. Loki suppressed a begrudged growl. Just in that moment and before she had a chance to reply to his provocative remark, there was a vigorous knock on the door.

“That’ll be your cue.” Jess announced. Loki had to force himself not to turn his head and catch one last glimpse of her as the grimly looking security man escorted him back to Mobius and, other than Jess, kept pushing him forward like cattle and yet, he was convinced he could feel her curious gaze resting on his back long after he had turned back around the corner, stepped into the elevator and even when he was reluctantly reunited with Mobius near the lab where they had first picked her up.

He was speaking to the same Minuteman who had interrupted them earlier—quietly, vividly and so engrossed in the seemingly heated conversation that he noticed Loki and his new bodyguard approaching only _after_ his exceptional hearing had picked up shreds of information he made another mental note of using against them, sooner rather than later.

“You do realise that they’ll come after us with a vengeance, right? That could be the end of TVA once and for all, you know very well what he is capable of.”

“Let that be my concern. This is just a temporary solution—one which I am very curious about.”

“But it already—“

“I realise it already happened and that’s exactly why I’m doing this. All we need to do is stop it from happening _again_ by observing the situation intently, stitch up the loop and we’ll be safe. This isn’t my first rodeo, Dave, you of all people should know this.”

“And what about the Tesseract? Wouldn’t it be smarter if we—“

The security officer cleared his throat, announcing their arrival.

“The _Tesseract_ ,” Loki interrupted with a glare, strutting towards them like the king he was born to become and despite his shackles, “belongs to me. It called out to me, it is _mine._ ”

“You’ll find a lot of people in this facility who will disagree with you on that. Trust me. We’ll make sure you won’t get your hands on that cube again.” Dave snorted. “I hope you like your new lodging. Now come on, mischief maker. You’ve got a lot of work to do.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your lovely feedback on the first chapter! I am beyond excited to share this new piece with you! So without further ado, enjoy the next chapter!

Like a predator, Loki prowled around Jess’ unit as if a single wrong step would lead to a mine explosion. Mobius had “released” him to his personal closing time of the day only a few minutes ago, seeing to it personally that he was brought to his new _home_ , as the senior manager had put it. Jess was right. Mobius was an arsehole but he had gotten that impression upon his arrival already.

Still, Loki had to admit that their technology was truly remarkable and advanced too. He had hidden this impression well in the lab but had ultimately failed to conceal his surprise and incredulousness upon being hurled through time and space introducing him to his “new” life at TVA. Loki scoffed, turning on the lights even though he did not need them. He would give him the satisfaction and play along for a while, just until he had found a way to get rid of the suffocating collar around his neck. The nerve-wracking device reminded him of the Grandmaster’s obedience disks back on Sakaar—but the fact the collar only paralysed him and did not inflict any pain on his body he considered an improvement.

This wasn’t just about the collar suppressing his seidr though. Loki had to get his hands back on the Tesseract _soon_ and for that, he would accept the pathetic bones Mobius kept throwing him. He would need to learn as much about TVA as possible, understand its very core, its employees, its motivations and its darkest secrets. And Jess. Once he located the space stone, he would ensure he would not be followed by them again.

Jess, whoever she was, might be of help in this hindsight. Being on probation, it was likely she held not a rather high opinion of the TVA—even though she had absurdly claimed things would improve for him soon.

The bookshelf caught his attention again. Staggering towards it and relieved that Mobius had decided he could be trusted enough for the shackles around his wrists to be removed for now, he narrowed his blue eyes at the titles. Bookshelves were gold mines to understanding what made people tick, the humans were no different. Jess’ interests varied from geography and history all the way to astronomy and an unmistakable obsession with space, judging by the collection of blu-rays on the shelf. _Star Wars, Star Trek, Apollo 11, Ad Astra, Doctor Who, Interstellar…_ and next to those, he found a series of dictionaries for various Midgardian languages, refusing to turn around when the door opened and Jess—he was already able to tell it was her by the way she treaded—stepped inside, removing her leather jacket and putting it back on its hook.

“How did you get inside?”

Loki tilted his head.

“Mobius has access to your unit.” He explained dryly. He spun around.

Jess shrugged her shoulders. “I know. Security reasons—and the fact that I bolted the facility a year ago. Rest assured, he always knocks when he needs me for something. Otherwise, that would lead to _very_ embarrassing situations.” _Like when I was all naked and submerged in warm water, masturbating in my bathtub with that wonderful massage jet of my luxurious showerhead, for example._ She sighed. There wouldn’t be much time for privacy now with Loki crashing on her couch like a vagabond. Unless he decided to join her. Her crotch heated up like a microwave at the naughty thought.

Loki’s eyebrows shot up like the tail of an excited dog upon being offered a juicy bone. She bolted the facility. So this was what got her on probation. What was it? Treason? Carelessness? A mere deal-breaker concerning the contract binding her to this secret organisation?

“Have you had something to eat yet?”

“No. I pass.”

“Fine. Let me go get you some bedding from my bedroom. The sofa is extendable, it should be big enough for you.”

Loki frowned. “You are preparing me a bed?”

A smile spread on Jess’ lips, a hint of scornfulness playing on her sweet features. “What, did you think I was going to make you sleep on the floor? I’m positive you’d kill me if I suggested such a thing.” Loki’s frown deepened as she disappeared into her bedroom. Her lower lip was fuller than her upper lip, so he noticed.

This woman was a riddle he, against all reason, longed to solve. All he needed to do was find the remaining puzzle pieces. They could be scattered anywhere, for all he knew. But he was persistent. If she was going to be a tool for his way out of this ridiculous place, he would put effort into understanding her little mortal mind.

“I might not be thrilled to have an unwanted guest in my unit _and_ security positioned outside my door but that doesn’t mean I will be a dick.” She announced when she returned. “There’s more blankets in the compartment under the sofa in case you need any.”

“Hardly.” He responded, observing her work her magic on the caramel sofa. It would do for a while, so he figured. It wasn’t like he needed much rest anyway.

“Right. Of course, you don’t freeze. I mean… being a Frost Giant.” Loki looked up as if she had suggested he’d sleep on the carpet after all, his expression hardening and sending an unpleasant shiver down Jess’ spine. She realised her mistake at once.

“You don’t like being called that, do you? I know your story, you know.” And there she was again, babbling again as if her life depended on it. Her tongue felt like a waterfall of letters spilling from between her lips and before she was able to stop herself, she revealed yet another detail of her private life to the strange God of Mischief. “You can’t change what you are and where you came from, you know. You only have control over what you do and the decisions you make.”

“Who said that?” He probed.

“I did. And I learned that the hard way. Both of my parents are criminals. My father got shot by the police when I was eleven and my mum will be in prison until she’s about two-hundred. She likely won’t be, smokes a lot and drinks… For a very long time I thought I had to be like them, you know. _To fulfil my destiny_ or some shit and follow in their footsteps to make them proud and do what’s expected of me. I’ve had my share of playing villain. That almost got me fired which is the reason I’m on probation now—and stuck with you.” She added, albeit with a sly smile. “I’m about as thrilled about being this accommodation situation as you are. So let’s just be nice to each other and don’t make this more complicated than it has to be.” The sting tearing through her heart like a sharp and poisonous arrow, however, begged to differ. Part of her was thrilled to have Loki around her. She just couldn’t put her finger on _why._

~*~

It was the next morning the gravity of Loki’s presence in her residential unit came crushing back to her like the immense pressure on Jupiter forcing her into its depths of gas. Her heart jumped at the thought of finding him in her living room, sprawled out on the extendable caramel sofa like a king. It was likely he had not gone to sleep with his prison wear on and due to the collar, would have been unable to conjure up something more comfortable either. Jess bit her lower lip. _Was there a chance he had been sleeping naked? Had he slept at all?_

Taking a deep breath to calm her rapid heartbeat, she threw back the warm covers and, after getting dressed, tiptoed into the living room, heading for the fridge. An ice-cold coffee and a chocolate chip cookie usually did wonders to her before she could bring herself to join the rest of TVA in the cafeteria for a proper and more nutritional breakfast. It wasn’t the prosperity of sweet food and drinks that lured her out of bed though, neither was it her alarm clock which, at this very moment, buzzed again on her nightstand to remind her not to fall asleep again.

Her body must have decided that Loki sleeping on the sofa was not close enough, and part of her longed to get even closer.

It was needless to say she was more than surprised to find him still sleeping as she crept towards the fridge. The orange shirt and trousers he had been given lay abandoned on the carpet. Jess doubted Loki was an untidy person—the dirty pile was much more of a statement of indignity rather than carelessness. Much more captivating, however, was the fact he was sleeping _shirtless_.

Curiously, she examined the muscles hiding under pale skin, his features so relaxed she wondered how this man could have ever caused trouble in his long life. He looked so innocent, all free from sorrows, suspicion and pain which she had seen on him while he was awake. _Oh, stop it. A beautiful face and a well-defined chest are not everything. He is wearing that collar for a reason._

Pressing her lips together to a thin line, she grabbed her coffee and that cookie and fled into the bathroom to freshen up before she left the unit, repeatedly rolling her eyes to herself in the process. Mobius would come for him as soon as he needed him and she had work to do—including the stack of paper she had abandoned yesterday after the God of Mischief had turned up.

~*~

It was short of a miracle she had not woken him at her departure, given his exceptional hearing sense. What surprised him even more, was that Mobius did not show up for another thirty minutes to collect him, giving Loki enough time to explore Jess’ bedroom in her absence, even though the reward was gaunt. The only drawer which might have been of interest was locked and he ran out of time before he could search for the key—if it was even in the room. She had not made her bed either so she must have been one of those people squeezing as much sleep from the night as possible before setting an alarm clock. That did not leave much time for anything else in the morning and yet, she had snuck out without so much as disturbing his dreams.

“Peculiar mortal…” Out of all the arrogant know-it-alls he had had to face, Jess was positively the only individual in this facility who had succeeded to awaken his interest. Whether that was a good or a bad thing for her, she would have to decide.

Loki was hardly surprised when his snooping was interrupted by a firm knock on the door. “Good morning! Get up, Loki. Time to shine!” Mobius unlocked the door like he owned the place, which, in retrospect, he did. He would have caught him red-handed, had he not moved with the speed of a graceful wildcat.

“Sleep well?” Loki pursed his lips, refusing to react to the snide comment.

“Now listen. You can either be a good boy for me and not make a scene or I will have to use these on you again.” He said, holding up the pair of handcuffs he had been all too glad to be rid of last night. “What’s it gonna be? And let me just add, jumping timelines is not fun when you can’t use your hands.”

The God of Mischief gave him a growl and strode past him, deciding in this very moment that he would make a list in his mind. Mobius would be the first to die for exposing him like that. Unfortunately enough, he was very well aware the senior manager suspected his growing thirst for vengeance. If he did not comply, that ridiculous collar would never come off.

“Great choice,” Mobius mocked. “The nineties are waiting for you already.”

~*~

“Jess! Change of scenery again?”

“You know me, Fred.” Jess hadn’t even bothered moving her stuff back to her office with that annoying wooden clock. Instead, she settled down where she had left off yesterday, this morning in company of one of the best scientists in the world.

“Make yourself at home as long as you keep clear of the tech, alright?”

“Roger that.” She teased, brooding over a transcription of Old French. She could practically _hear_ the words in her head as she read them to herself, analysing every single word for a hidden meaning. Spending too much time on one language usually had her start _thinking_ in it. She doubted Fred would appreciate being spoken to in a dead tongue.

“How are you coping with Reindeer Games crashing on your couch?” He asked casually, testing a setting on the device Jess had abused yesterday to elicit a reaction from Loki. She was surprised Fred hadn’t asked her about the remnants of the apple in the dustbin under the desk.

“Reindeer Games?”

“Yeah, Reindeer Games. Remember? That’s what Tony Stark used to call him.”

“Ah. I expected more complications but I had a rather uneventful night.”

Fred raised his eyebrows. “Huh. Did you feel safe? Mobius said it would be but…”

“Surprisingly I did.”

“I see. Well, they’re sending him on his first-time mission today. Supervised, of course. Ariana and Homer are coming with him to make sure he doesn’t step out of line. I can’t wait to hear how he’ll fare. It’s way too early in my opinion but—“

“Whatever M says,” Jess concluded.

“Exactly…”

In the meantime, she would try and figure out how Loki made such a strange impact on her mind and body. Was her period due, perhaps? Her hormones playing tag? Come to think of it, it had been a while since she had last pampered her private parts with that wonderful showerhead or made use of the rechargeable vibrator hidden away in her bedside drawer.

TVA was very transparent. Nothing, no grain of dust, no leaf, no snowflake in winter and certainly no parcels entered or left the facility without going through thorough inspection first. It had taken her months of planning to order her little helper.

That must have been it. She was just horny and Loki, unlike all the brotherly relationships she had with her male colleagues here at TVA, was the only man she could imagine being intimate with in spite of hardly knowing him at all. Now she wouldn’t consider herself a proud virgin—too persistent was the curiosity to finally unite with a man and learn what it felt like to be filled where only her vibrator had been before—still, Jess wasn’t about to sleep with just anyone merely for the experience.

She let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding. _Old French_ , she reminded herself. _Back to Old French._

~*~

“Hey! The elevator is that way.” Homer shouted, his annoyance echoing through the corridor. Loki ignored him. Unceremoniously, he peeked through the milky window of the lab door, heartbeat unwillingly speeding up upon spotting whom he had been looking for without knowing _why._ Jess was sat at the desk like he had expected, leaning over the documents she had been working on yesterday already. When he opened the door, his fingers clutching at the cold metal handle, she looked up and spun around on her chair.

Surprise scurried over her face, along with a hint of excitement she was unable to conceal fast enough. “Hey… How were the nineties?”

Loki’s face distorted as if he had bitten into a lemon. He grunted, making Jess chuckle.

“That bad? It’ll get easier over time, promise.” She shrugged.

“Speaking of experience?” He probed, leaning against the threshold. He barely noticed the scientist working away on the devices Jess had shown him yesterday—only that all colour seemed to drain from his face when Loki stepped further into the room, swallowing thickly and keeping his head down. _Coward._

“I mean, that’s what they say. I don’t do the time-hopping thing, remember? Too much wibbly wobbly timey wimey.” She giggled at her Doctor Who reference. “M won’t allow me to do it for some reason.”

Loki hummed, the sound sending a pleasant shiver up and down Jess’ spine. _Stupid hormones._ She was going to charge that vibrator tonight and lock her door, keeping her voice down to a minimum so Loki wouldn’t notice just _what_ it was she was doing. A sigh escaped her lips.

“What are you working on?”

“Oh… right now, a transcript in Old French. Once that is done, there are a couple of documents in Old Norse to go through.”

“Old Norse you say?”

“Hmm. That’s your mother tongue, isn’t it?” _Technically_ , Loki thought. The Jötuns spoke a different dialect of the ancient language and quite frankly, he did not know who his real mother was.

“Yes.” He responded instead.

“What the hell are you doing in here? I’m supposed to bring you back to your cell, I mean… your unit. Hi, Jess.” Homer gave her an apologetic smile when he realised he had compared her residential unit to a prison cell right in front of her. Loki rolled his eyes and gave him a glare.

“I’ll talk to M, let him stay.” Jess intervened when Homer’s hand wandered to the Taser on his belt. Unlike what Loki assumed would happen next, however, Homer shook his head with dismay and left the lab in defeat without another word—presumably to report to Mobius. Loki rolled his eyes.

“Jess?” Fred asked.

The young woman shrugged. If her body demanded Loki’s company, then so be it. Anything to help her concentrate on her work—she just hoped it would not achieve the opposite, for Mobius hated it when she missed important deadlines.

Much to her surprise, Loki rewarded her with a smirk that sent an electric shock right through her heart _and_ between her legs. She returned it timidly, playing with one of the candy bracelets around her wrists and eventually got back to work, her back heating up upon realising he was still staring at her.

How could that be? Loki had only been here for about twenty-four hours and the whole atmosphere in this place had already changed to an extent it felt like they had jumped timelines. Or was that just her?

Loki peeked over her shoulder, taking a look at the Old Norse documents she had mentioned. It was written in runes.

“One _might_ start to think you’re up to something, snooping around like that, you know.” He heard Jess say.

“What makes you think I am not?” He smirked, reaching for one of the sheets just when Jess stretched out her hand to snatch the likely confidential information from him—and gasped for air when their hands touched instead. It was brief, like the wings of a butterfly hurrying past in his search for the most beautiful flower to rest on and yet, her body longed for _more._ Little did she know that Loki felt the same.

He knew sexual attraction, of course. The young maidens of Asgard had not been exactly standing in line to share his bed, not like they had for Thor once Odin had announced he was to be king but being a prince had had its moments. Deflowering innocent women whose parents would have never allowed them to sneak away at night to meet him and learning from the most skilled concubines of Asgard how to please both men and women alike were some of the few memories of the realm he grew up in that he remembered fondly. He knew sexual attraction… he didn’t know _this._ This, whatever this was, felt like Thor’s hammer hitting him square in his face, sending shocks of electricity through his entire body.

Jess bit her tongue to refrain from apologising to him. What did she have to apologise for? _He_ was invading her personal space, he was… _Heavens_ , his skin was so soft. But was she really going to drool over a god slash prisoner slash war criminal? Mobius would skin her alive if he found out. But then again… he was the one who had accommodated him in her room, was he not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I knew what’s going to happen in “Loki” but then again... that’s the thrill, isn’t it? I can safely tell you that this story won’t necessarily follow the plot of the TV series. Just you wait, hahaha!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! All set for Chapter 3! Enjoy, everyone! ♥

Jess’ gut feeling did not deceive her. Five minutes later—a cursed number here at the TVA, so it appeared—Mobius burst into the lab like the Hulk himself. The metal doorknob crashed into the white wall and Fred almost dropped the test tube containing a steaming liquid he was pouring into an opening of the toaster-looking device.

“I was hoping you’d be able to follow simple orders, Loki.”

The God of Mischief narrowed his eyes at him. “I don’t take orders. I give orders.” He snarled.

“Just because I co-located you with Jessica, that does not mean you are supposed to play partners in crime. Dave, would you kindly escort Loki back to his unit and do not fetch him again until after lunch break.” It was not a question and Dave, who had been alerted by Homer and who had barged into the lab right after the senior manager, jumped to action at once. Handcuffs were dangling from his belt, ready to be made use of just in case Loki decided he was going to resist. He did not. For now.

“Oh please! Spare me with that name!” Jess interjected. “Nothing happened. What were you going to do? Keep him locked up and under surveillance until you need him again? This place isn’t exactly an amusement park. You know that very well given that this is what got me on probation in the first place, remember?”

Loki’s head spun around. He stopped dead in his tracks, causing Dave to lose his balance and stumble right into him—it felt like hitting a brick wall. Fred was the only one to follow the spectacle seemingly silent. His eyes, hidden behind a pair of fashionable glasses, darted back and forth between Jess, Mobius, and Loki like he was watching an exciting tennis match.

She was defending him, wasn’t she? Jess bit her lower lip, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her fists hard. Her chest felt like it was swelling with anger and suppression, and with emotions that did not belong to her. Yet, she related to them. Yes, the need to keep Loki out of trouble was pounding in her heart hotter than her own blood.

“You are returning to your office after lunch.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“No, Jess, I am not kidding. This is not about you.” He turned to Loki. “I gave you clear instructions, Loki and you disobeyed me. You are too dangerous to be wandering about the facility unsupervised.”

“Oh yes, I am.” He growled, leaning forward as if he was going to pounce on him, slashing his back open with his bare hands, and lifted his chin when Dave grabbed his shoulder to stop him from any funny business. “I’m gonna burn this whole place to the ground.”

“You’re repeating yourself and yet I see no fire. You would do very well to learn quickly that _I’m_ the one in charge in this place, Loki. You might have been a prince in your realm but here you are just another recruit. Am I being clear?” Loki glared at him.

“Sir…” Fred cleared his throat. All eyes locked on him as if he was about to grow a second head. “I do realise that this is about your authority but I believe Jess is right. Locking him up might just fuel his defiance. Loki is rendered powerless with his restrictive collar. He can’t do much harm here, can he?” In other words, Jess thought, let him socialise. Let him _talk._ Gain his trust. _Just like you did with me._

Mobius considered him for a moment. Then, he turned to Dave. “Handcuff him.” The Minuteman jumped to action immediately and much to his surprise, Loki did not object to the precaution.

“If you put one toe out of line…”

“I have received one too many death threats for them to still show effect on me,” Loki growled. He narrowed his eyes at him all the while Jess studied him with Argus’s eyes. The way he lifted his chin and straightened his back in an attempt to radiate confidence like a nuclear power plant made him look both dangerous and majestic. But there was fear sitting in his chest too, snug and comfortable and unwilling to leave after having witnessed and experienced horrors she could only imagine. She didn’t quite know _why_ she knew. She just did.

“If you’re here long enough, you’ll learn that death is not the worst punishment I can come up with for you,” Mobius said, not giving the God of Mischief enough time to respond. He gave Jess a sharp glare—a silent warning—and left the lab fuming. Dave followed suit after him and yet they all waited until the lab door fell shut again before breathing out like the oxygen was only now returning to the room.

Jess spun around, her body accomplishing to ignore the Norse god right next to her just long enough for her to wonder why Fred, the reasonable scientist, had stood up for _Loki_ of all people. “Why did you do that?” And that didn’t even come close to answering the question as to why _she_ was defending Loki. _That would be a chapter from a different book._

“I’m not sure. I like you, Jess—and I don’t want another troublemaker on the run.” He turned to Loki. “Your freedom won’t last long anyway. He’s got quite a bit in store for you, Mobius. You won’t get much time to breathe.”

Loki tilted his head, lifting his arms. “Freedom? You are calling this freedom?”

“Mobius said it would be temporary, and in all honesty, I feel safer with you being all chained up as well. You don’t exactly have a _good_ reputation in all of those timelines, you see. I’m off. Are you gonna join me?”

Jess scoffed. He was damn right about that. “You know what, Fred? Shut up and go eat your lunch. I had a late breakfast anyway.”

Much to Loki’s surprise, followed by a mild discomfort, which he could not quite explain, _Fred_ chuckled. “Night owl. Take care and don’t forget this room is being monitored. I _do_ know what happened to my apple yesterday, you know.”

The young woman crossed her arms, feigning disinterest until Fred too was gone and then glanced at the digital clock on the desk. Lunchtime would only start in thirty-five minutes from now. _Coward._

“It is plainly obvious he has taken an interest in you,” Loki stated. Jess’ heart skipped a beat. Loki’s presence came crushing back into her mind like a grenade, burning down all of the wires in her body.

“Who? Fred? Fred is forty-six and he is married—or he was. In another timeline. Let’s just say it’s complicated.”

“So they keep telling me and yet I don’t believe it.” His gaze locked with hers, capturing her in place. For what felt like half an eternity, she was frozen on the spot, unable to look away.

“Those statues in the main hall… who are they?”

Jess blinked, ripping herself from the odd trance and shaking her head slightly. “Mobius calls them the Time-Keepers but he never bothered to explain it to me. All I know is that they are linked to the TVA.”

“Sounds like Mobius is keeping a lot from you.”

Jess gave him a weak smile. Her composure was all but fake, with a big black flying question mark still floating above her head, leaving her pondering over why she had decided to cover for a criminal, sexual attraction be damned. She sighed. _Well, this isn’t just sexual attraction, now is it?_ It was like her affinity for the concept of space and time. Inexplicable and yet so powerful. “I’m on probation, remember?”

“Except that isn’t quite the reason, is it?”

“He is like a father to me. He is keeping things from you because you are not trustworthy. He is keeping things from me because he means to keep me safe.”

“Perhaps that would be the reason if he truly cared about you.”

“What are you talking about? Of course he cares about me!”

“Does he?” Loki narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you quite sure? Because I can see clearly what I have been too blind to see for centuries when it happened to me. You seem like a _tool_ to me, Jess. A tool serving a specific purpose. Mobius does not care about you. He will discard you when he doesn’t need you anymore.”

Jess’ eyes widened, her lips parting in utter shock. She took a step back, defying how her body longed to unite with his instead of moving away from him.

“How dare you say that? TVA is my _family_. Why… why do you think M did anything in his power to bring me back here when I escaped? He probably saved me from becoming a prostitute or a drug addict and a criminal like my parents. Like you.”

_She had escaped._ Loki made a note of that—but it wasn’t nearly enough to quench his curiosity when it came to this peculiar woman right in front of him. Along with it, the urge to make her open up her eyes and offer her his help, almost as if making her feel more secure would make him feel better too.

“He brought you back because he needs you, not because he cares about you.” He paused. “But you want that to be true, do you not? You want him to care about you because your parents, so it seems, failed to make you feel loved.” Jess was a reflection of his own life, in this aspect. Frigga had loved him, of course. But she too had kept secrets from him—painful secrets whose scars still disfigured his soul.

“I made a mistake when I left, okay? I have everything I could ask for here. A job, a roof over my head, food, friends…”

“Ah, yes, freedom. Freedom _is_ life’s great lie, is it not?” He lifted his hands again and Jess gasped. Loki had said that before and, according to his timeline, not too long ago. “Do you believe you are _free_ in this place, Jess?” She shivered when he spoke her name, swallowing hard in an attempt to get rid of the lump in her throat.

“You will never be free,” Loki continued coldly, “One day, your purpose in this place will expire and you will be left with nothing. You might call some of Mobius’ lackeys your friends, but can you guarantee they will stand up for you when the time comes?”

“You are wrong.” She spat, hesitation evident on her face. _Was he?_ She had a vague apprehension that Loki was not trying to provoke her to the point of an emotional fit. He was speaking from experience. He _knew_ what it felt like to be used and thrown away, knew what it was like to miss the unconditional affection of the one person he had believed to be his father for so long.

Her lower lip was shaking, her anger mixing with compassion and fear. _What if he was right?_

As she sucked in a deep breath, she sat down, crossing her arms once more and looking up at him like he caught her with her fingers in the cookie jar. “You have been here merely a day. How would you possibly know? You don’t know anything about me, Loki. You don’t know my story.”

But that was the point, was it not? He did in fact not know her story and yet, he felt like he had known her for years. Perhaps that was why he would attempt to make her aware of Mobius’ emotional abuse trampling on her soul right in front of her like it resembled a timeworn path in an Asgardian forest.

Oh yes, there was a story and Loki was determined to find out how it went. _His_ story had not had a happy ending. Perhaps, however, he could ensure that she had hers, if anything to feed his bad conscience. He snorted at the thought.

“If it is reassurance you seek, you will not find it with me. By all means—get back to work and do what you have been told to do. Waste your talents and your powers and while away miles under the earth. A great many megalomaniac rulers have concealed their selfish purposes under a mask of false affection, making you believe that you are in the right place. Are you, Jess?” She held her breath. “I have seen your books and your collection of entertainment discs you call films. So tell me—are you in the right place?”

“Fuck off.” She choked out, her voice shaking a little too much for her liking. The fact that Loki had such an earth-shattering effect on her made her uneasy, wary and vigilant. Jess was not one to cry often, especially not in front of anyone she didn’t know well. Briefly, she wondered if Loki even counted as one of those.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said fuck off!”

She jumped up as if stung by an adder, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of emotions whirling through her like a swirl in the sea, her whole body buzzing when she stormed past him, ignoring how her arms meant to wrap themselves around his waist like he was her only anchor in this confusing sea of sensations and feelings whose origins she could not fathom. Little did she know that Loki felt the same and he had to clench his fists to not reach for her and hold her back for a reason he was unable to explain.

All he knew was that he had hit a nerve, a sensitive spot—one she did not know she had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s how things escalate quickly. Let me know what you think. ♥


	4. Chapter 4

Loki got called in again after lunch. By the time Jess returned from sitting next to Fred in the cafeteria poking at her food as if those noodles were earthworms, he was gone. She had been careless to leave him alone like that. For all she knew, he could have found a way to get rid of his handcuffs and make trouble.

Nothing of the like happened, no alarms were raised and no fuming Mobius came at her for being this reckless. Instead, she decided not to while away in the lab any longer and packed her things to continue her work in her unit, feeling like an empty shell.

_What if he was right?_ The question hovered in the air like moist fog in a forest, creeping into her mind and clouding her concentration. Was that what he wanted, to get to her and distract her? Distract her from what, exactly? M had warned her that Loki was skilled at playing mind games and deceiving his enemies and despite you insisting he was part of the team now and that he would not get left behind, it appeared he still perceived them all as such.

It wasn’t like anyone had made any real effort to become his friend so far… so what else was he to believe? Jess bit her lower lip, and eventually gave up on the transcript she was working on. Her mind kept wandering off, even when she switched on her TV to re-watch some of her favourite Doctor Who episodes and struggled to make sense of the lines as her mind was still filled with Old French terms, repeatedly sucking in deep breaths until she realised the foreign and yet so familiar scent surrounding her was _Loki’s._ She was sitting on his provisory bed, after all.

The bed sheets smelled like a wintery forest, like ice and strangely, even leather and molten metal—but perhaps the latter was just his natural _male_ scent intended to lure in females. Either way… Jess felt too exhausted to resist how it enveloped her whole and eventually fell asleep on the sofa before Loki returned to her unit.

~*~

He found her sleeping soundly on his “bed” after Dave practically shoved him into the room, locking the door behind him with an ear-piercing _click_ , but he sensed her presence before he even lay his eyes on her. It came knocking him over like the strong winds in Jötunheim, making him swallow as he stepped closer.

Loki wondered just how fast he could snap her delicate neck. How he could overpower and threaten to kill her before the oafs watching him over the surveillance cameras even registered what was unfolding before their eyes, taking her hostage. But he did no such thing and it left him pondering if Mobius had somewhat suspected he would not harm a hair on her head.

He knew a lot about him, Mobius. More than he would have liked, but if watching him in various timelines proved anything at all, it was that Loki was not malicious for the sake of malice. Ever since his arrival, Jess had not once raised his voice against him—he had no reason to plot vengeance against her. Only to plan it with her. _Fuck off_ , she had barked. He smirked.

She seemed kind, after all, understanding—well, she was cheeky and smug too but there was more beneath the surface. Loki refrained from flinching when she stirred, turning over on the sofa to reveal her face. Eyes closed, features relaxed, lips slightly parted. As soon as her eyes flew open, Loki felt an adrenaline rush resembling the thrill of being reunited with a long-lost possession.

Jess blinked. “Hey… how long have you been here?”

“About a minute. I’m surprised you didn’t hear the door close.”

She shrugged. “I have a deep sleep.” Truly. She could sleep through a war and feel rested the next day. Technically, that was another superpower of hers.

“I… um…” _What? I’m sorry? For what?_ This was ridiculous. _She_ had nothing to apologise for. Instead, she sat up straight and rushed to gather her things so Loki would get his bed back. Her own was calling for her anyway. “When did M send you?”

Loki swallowed. “The nineties again, to save a Minuteman from public execution in a Hydra cult.”

“And did you?”

He smirked, sending a lightning bolt right between her legs. _Damn him_. “Yes. Even though I do assume that he was never in any real danger.”

“How can you know? M has his reasons for what he does. I’m sure he had one for allowing you to interfere.”

Loki hummed, careful not to scratch on the surface of his true intentions towards _her_ again—not anytime soon, anyway. “Did he now? You all think me the God of Lies, yet Mobius is so full of them he reeks of deception.” He paused, looking her straight in the eye. “Do you trust him?”

Did she? Her answer should have been an unconditional _yes_ , a confirmation of her loyalty to the TVA but who was she kidding? No. She did not trust him. M had given her a home and he had given her a purpose beyond criminal intent, and technically she had put her life into his hands but she did not, in fact, trust him.

She didn’t trust anyone in the TVA, as a matter of fact—not even Fred and especially not Dave, even with his jubilee coming up. She trusted no one but herself. Her parents had taught her that, a long time ago. At least that’s how she remembered it.

“You should go to sleep. Fred had a point, I’m sure M won’t go easy on you once you’ve become used to all the timeline hopping.”

Loki frowned, fully aware of the fact she had not answered his question. He watched her stagger off into her room tired but elegantly, empty peanut shells still scattered on the coffee table like confetti. He would have made them disappear with but a flick of his wrist if it wasn’t for that absurd collar.

Loki wondered for just a brief moment if she would pleasure herself again tonight. Oh, yes. He had heard that and it had left him with a bulge in his trousers for the rest of the night. The barely audible buzzing of a sex toy Loki could only imagine had been buried deep inside her cunt, and Jess’ soft whimpers, albeit muffled due to the pillow she must have pressed her face into, had been all but delectable, and while he doubted that he was the reason for her night-time adventure, it had been a thrilling experience nonetheless. Loki merely possessed enough decency not to bring it up—not until he might need to blackmail her. At the very least, that was what he told himself. He refused to believe the premise of his silence was a growing collection of sexual fantasies, most of which involved Jess on her knees in front of him, moaning and whimpering like she had last night.

Loki cursed, brushing the peanuts aside and heeded her advice. He should rest. It would do him no good to stay up all night yet again and squeeze a few hours of sleep out in the early morning when exhaustion got the better of him. He shouldn’t be letting his guard down _at all_ for as long as he was wearing that collar and could be taken by surprise. This morning posed as the perfect example of this miserable predicament. _No one_ should be able to march past him and get ready for a long workday with him sleeping _through it_ , and yet Jess had managed to do just that.

He hummed to himself, straightening the covers of his provisory bed before lying down with as much grace as he could muster and ridding himself of his clothing. He would be damned if he did not make use of whatever connection there might have been between them, even if he knew he was repeating himself at that point. _Patience. Patience is a virtue._ It still took him hours again for his mind to finally switch off and let him fall asleep.

~*~

Jess nearly jumped out of her skin when she found Loki standing _right behind_ her, peeking over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of what she was working on.

“How did you even find me? The lab is miles away.”

Loki smirked, sending her heart knocking against her ribcage like a steam hammer. “Not all of my powers are of magical origin, you see.” He would certainly not tell her he found her because he had _sensed_ her _._ herher. sdHe sighed. “And to be quite frank, you are far more bearable than everyone else around here.”

Jess smiled smugly. “You know what, I’ll just take that as a compliment. I see you’re without handcuffs but I have work to do. So either help me translate or be quiet and let me focus, alright?”

He looked _so damn_ good in that suit. The white button-up chemise and the black tie complimented his raven hair like it had been made for him, and not been borrowed from Dave who, as far as she was concerned, had been more than against the idea of the God of Mischief wearing _his_ suits.

“No missions today?” She found herself asking, blinking rapidly to tear her gaze away from his chest.

“I guess we shall find out. Though I am surprised Mobius is not concerned some of Odin’s lapdogs will kick in the door sooner or later.” He had given it a proper thought before, of course. Loki was a fugitive, a criminal. Thor was probably looking for him, along with a herd of einherjar following after him like sheep. The very circumstance that he might just be safe here for the time being, until he had gotten his hands on the Tesseract and the collar off his neck, had indeed occurred to him already. Mobius had refused any information on the matter, Jess, on the other hand, was easier to manipulate.

“Only in one timeline,” Jess said. “The one you escaped from. You are in the Null-Time Zone now which means you are shielded from anyone travelling with the Filumorph.” It was a ridiculous term, really, didn’t quite roll off the tongue. She knew what it meant, at least. _Filum_ was a Latin word for _string._ Time strings, in this case. But then again, it was just a tongue-twister she had come up with at Mobius’ birthday party a few years ago.

“The entire facility is _hidden_ from prying eyes then, is it not?” Loki probed, his fingertips brushing over a stack of books Jess had brought to work today.

“Yes?”

“How far does this protection reach?”

“Across the nine realms and beyond, Loki. That’s like, the whole point. The multiverse, except for a few individuals, don’t know we exist, and unlike S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.W.O.R.D. we work in secret. We only observe and keep things in order.” She recited the words as if she had learned them by heart from a dull textbook.

“I figured this much.” He purred, snatching a book from the table and flicking through it with vague interest. Whatever stood behind this very protection, surely there were mechanics and science involved. All he had to do was find a way to use this protection for himself once the Tesseract created a portal for him to get out of here.

He hummed once more, following Jess’ every move as she attempted to get back to her work. This woman had access to any document in dire need of translation all across the TVA. He would be damned if she could not find out where the cube was—if she did not know already, that was.

She scribbled a translation on the page with a pencil reading ‘ _bad or evil’_ , then paused, chewed on the eraser-part and frowned. ‘ _Sick?’_ , she added with a question mark.

“You are not wrong,” he found himself saying, crossing his arms before his chest and leaning against her desk as his eyes skimmed over the transcript. “Evil would indeed refer to sick in this case as there are no other mentions of ill-willed entities. Here. Varð þeim ǫllum ilt af,” he cited, picking a random example a little further on in the dialogue. “It made them all sick.”

“I thought so. It must have something to do with the ‘fjölkyngi’ they keep speaking of.”

“Sorcery? What sorcery?”

Jess switched to Old Norse, reading out loud what the transcript had to offer. Loki’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest upon hearing her speak in his mother tongue, her pronunciation so on point and flawless his lips parted in utter surprise. “But they don’t mention it again,” she continued in English. “It’s like they’re afraid of talking about it.”

“Let me see.” Jess held back a smile, her pulse speeding up. Loki leaned over the desk, allowing her to take in his unique and beguiling scent—not to mention the way his sleeves were rolled up, his pale forearms on full display for her. The strength hiding in those muscles made her wiggle around on her chair like an impatient child. There went her concentration again, she thought, as she nibbled on her candy necklace.

~*~

“M? Do you have a moment?” It was about a week later when Jess made her way to Mobius’ office—it was more a control room, really—with a stack of documents tucked under her arm.

“Jess…” Mobius did not look up but she knew better than to assume he would not pay attention to her. He was exceptional at multi-tasking, Mobius. “What can I do for you?” His eyes were glued to six screens right in front of him, the one in the middle displaying who Jess immediately identified as Loki, and his new reluctant supervisors, Ariana and Homer. She placed the documents on his desk, right next to the silly Doctor Who coffee mug she had gotten him for his birthday once, her blue eyes darting over to the screens like magnets.

“I translated the remaining transcripts and protocols now.” _And Loki helped me,_ she added silently. “There are three mentions of a foreign entity of sorts that _could_ be an Infinity Stone but the descriptions were too vague, almost as if they spoke in code… to be truly honest, I believe this is about something, or rather _someone_ else entirely. It seems to refer to people more than magical objects.” She said, not once averting her gaze. “I’ll need more to figure out if it’s really… When is Loki?”

Mobius looked up at last, noticing her almost suspicious interest in what was unfolding on the surveillance monitors.

“Never mind that. Those are just previews, getting him used to time and multiverse travels.” She hummed. Just what she’d expected. “He’s making things a lot more difficult for himself than they are. Makes me wonder if we should let him take part in Dave’s jubilee party on Saturday. How are you getting along with him?” He asked instead of answering her question. “I noticed he spends an awful lot of time around your office.” Blood bit at her cheeks. Did he know? _Don’t be ridiculous. How would he? What_ was _there to know anyway?_

“He does. I am trying to be nice, unlike you lot. But we haven’t exactly been speaking much.” _… He only watches me work, mostly, seeking my presence like a bee hunting for honey… not that I’d mind._ “Why?”

“No reason. You just seem tense. You _will_ tell me if you notice anything… _off_ about him, right?”

“Yeah, sure.” _Does me wanting to be near him and touch him count as_ off _?_ She swallowed, saying nothing more.

“You won’t have to put up with Loki for much longer, I promise. Reese has recovered well, he’ll take over next week and you’ll have your unit all to yourself again. I’ll send Dave to get you those recordings, he should be able to retrieve them before the party.”

“Already?”

Mobius gave her a look and Jess slapped her forehead mentally. “I mean… Reese is feeling better already? I thought he was almost beheaded.”

“Exactly, almost.” Mobius chuckled.

Jess ignored that last bit. Her mind had gotten stuck at _put up with Loki._ Like she would admit to him that he had been pleasant to have around when he wasn’t trying to smash the pillars holding her life together like he had when he accused Mobius of using her like a tool. “And quite frankly, I am keen on keeping a safe distance between you,” he went on unfazed, “Loki is like a ticking time bomb. That collar is staying on until I can be one-hundred percent certain he is not up to some mischief.”

“What about my probation?”

The senior manager gave her a sly grin. “Consider it ended for now. But I’m watching you, Jess.”

She scoffed. “Of course you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments and feel free to come say hello on my Tumblr! ♥ @sserpente


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5, in which Rapunzel would be jealous.

It almost felt like no time at all. Had one whole week really passed already since Loki had accommodated himself in her unit? In the books, the characters who had to share a room usually fell in love by the end of the story or, even better, they had some mind-blowing sex and _then_ ended up together, and yet all she had done was play with her vibrator like it would be taken away from her the next morning for good.

But unlike any of the mischief and the chaos she had expected, Loki was a rather pleasant roommate. He was respectful, calm, tidy… and she doubted he had ever entered her room without her permission. Unless, of course, he had done so in her absence.

Jess gnashed her teeth, her eyes fixed on her brown hair in the mirror. Ariana had found this lovely youth magazine in the nineties yesterday, one that had already been thrown in the bin. The only reason she had taken it was because the cover showed a blue phone booth with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor on the cover. Jess had spent all morning skimming through it, reading the headline article as well as chuckling about the gossip and the ads—even though some of them were rather sexist.

At some point, she found a double page on fancy hairstyles for women and now struggled to copy one of the elegant braids to spice up her own hair. Thus far, she had been failing miserably, flinching with a grunt when Loki opened the bathroom door. He tilted his head upon seeing her sitting on the edge of her bathtub with her tongue sticking out a little and her fingers entangled in her brown hair.

“Yes?”

“I meant to get washed but clearly, you are occupied in here.”

Jess huffed, flinging the hair tie into the sink. “I’ve been trying to braid my hair. Like this, look!” She pointed at the magazine. The woman in the picture looked like it had taken her five minutes to create this look, and they’d had the audacity to rate this style ‘quick and easy’.

Loki chuckled. “You look like a scarecrow.”

“Why, thank you.” She rolled her eyes. “You can take your shower, I give up on this.” She said.

His sigh surprised her. “Allow me.”

“What?” Jess’ reply was all but a chirp but Loki had already approached her and fetched the hair tie from the sink. The braid was indeed a simple one, and as he stood behind her to part her hair for her, he had to refrain from letting her know just how soft it felt.

He had often braided his mother’s hair as a child. It was an activity that had calmed him down whenever Thor and his friends had made fun of how fond he was of books and preferred to use his mind and tricks rather than raw strength in play fights. The hand movements he was so familiar with that he had no need to look. Instead, he met Jess’ eyes in the mirror. She swallowed, and for a brief moment, he found himself remembering the whimpers coming from her bedroom at night.

Quickly, he averted his gaze again, parting her hair to reveal the earrings dangling down her earlobes. They shimmered in the artificial light of the bathroom. He had never seen her without them, come to think of it.

“They are moonstones.” She said when she noticed his glance. His finger brushed against her left earring once more, making it swing a little. “M got them for me on my birthday. The stone is said to soothe emotional instability and stress, and to stabilise emotions.” After all, her _own_ parents were unlikely to buy her birthday presents anymore. “He asked me to always wear them… that they would protect me from evil.”

Loki hummed. He was familiar with the healing properties of moonstones. They were rather common on Asgard too. Only it made him wonder why Mobius would be so keen on her keeping them on at all times.

“Do you truly believe that?”

She shrugged. “I choose to.”

His fingertips brushed against the soft skin of her neck and he sucked in a deep breath. Jess’ lips parted. She was indeed a beautiful woman, was she not? Loki pondered if she was aware of just how alluring she was. How delectable she sounded when she came undone, believing so naïvely that he was unable to hear the fun she had with herself.

Lust flared up in his blue eyes, his fingers caressing her neck once more, and him braiding her hair all of a sudden turning into a subtle excuse to touch her over and over, to explore what their physical connection meant to him. Then it hit him. The inexplicable tension between them was indeed sexual too _._

It was perfect, was it not? If Jess desired him, in whatever way she imagined to… then perhaps he could make use of her attraction, especially as this meant that he too would get to blatantly act on those carnal needs simmering right beneath the surface of his very core. He could not possibly trust her beyond that.

“There.” He announced, finishing up the braid by tying the loose ends together with her hair tie. She looked exactly like the model in the magazine now—only Loki had done an even better job. Jess swallowed once more, wishing, subconsciously, that he would touch her one last time. When he stepped away from her instead, she came to suppress a disappointed whimper.

“M is, um… you’ll be sent to a different unit next week.” She said, breaking the oddly peaceful but palpable silence between them.

“Am I?”

“Yeah. Reese recovered well, I mean, that’s what M told me. He will take over after the party.”

“What party?”

Jess stood, clutching the sink behind her for support—Loki did not fail to notice how flustered she was now, almost as if him braiding her hair had intensified whatever it was she felt for him. It had been a long time since he had last had to think this way upon meeting someone of the opposite sex, let alone a mortal woman.

“Dave is celebrating his anniversary this weekend. It’s a big deal here at the TVA, much more important than birthdays. M didn’t tell you about it, then.” She concluded.

Loki shook his head slowly and decided to give her a smirk. Her reaction, blood biting at her cheeks, pleased him. “I’d dare say I am not invited to your silly festivities.”

“M is thinking about it. About inviting you, I mean. And I guess you could… use a break from all… this. Besides, apart from security, everyone will be drunk by midnight. Lots of snacking and dancing…”

Loki rolled his eyes. He had already hated these kinds of parties back on Asgard. Fandral would shamelessly flirt with three women at once, Volstagg would stuff himself into a coma and Thor would brag with his hammer on the dance floor, making the women believe they could lift it as they danced with him.

If anything, however, this absurd anniversary was the perfect opportunity for him to let his charm play and gain her trust. Jess sighed, prompting him to look up and meet her eyes. She stood, approaching him with the hint of a smile both scornful and compassionate at the same time… and then wrapped her arms around him.

Loki tensed up, his arms hanging by his side motionlessly. Physical affection was the last thing he had expected in a place like this, even from Jess. Perhaps, gaining her trust would be easier than he thought it would be, and still, part of him was unable to deny how much he enjoyed knowing that someone at least pretended to care, as peculiar as she was. Her touch felt like someone had set his entire body ablaze.

“Listen, I know you’ve been through shit and I know you hate everyone right now, including me. M may or may not have red on his ledger but you’re a part of the team now. You’re one of us. If we don’t stand up for each other, then who will?”

“I never agreed on becoming a part of the team.” Loki responded darkly.

Jess moved away from him a little, her smile faltering. “Me neither.”

~*~

“You’ll have to explain that to me one more time. When your father, I mean, Odin, fell into the Odinsleep—whatever the hell that means—your mother _gave_ you the throne?”

Loki hummed. That was the part of the story Thor had left out upon telling S.H.I.E.L.D. and all the other silly secret organisations run by mortals how dangerous and menacing his adoptive brother was.

Jess was flicking through one of the thickest books he had ever seen. It was a collection of astronomical anomalies written down in a language not even Loki could decipher and it was so big she had to stand upright rather than sit at her desk to read the top of the pages. She gazed at him from the corner of her eyes.

“Thor was no longer on Asgard and Mother refused to leave Odin’s side. I was the only one left fit to rule—only Thor’s idiotic friends did not accept me as their king.”

“Let me guess… they pretended you were the villain so you became the villain?” Nibbling on her candy necklace, she bit off a pearl with a loud _crack_. Loki flinched a little. It was short of a miracle she had not chipped any of her teeth yet.

“I saw my chance,” he said. “So I took it. I never saw myself as the _villain._ And I never lied. I _was_ the rightful king of Asgard.”

Jess bent over to read the small print. She was still wearing the plait Loki had braided into her hair. It swayed from side to side a bit as it fell over her shoulder, revealing her neck. Her scent was almost unnerving—unnerving in a most ferocious and desirable way. Intoxicating. He had sensed it when she had hugged him already and now, part of him was greedy to press her close to him once more and feel her body against his. He suppressed a growl. He should be enjoying his quest to tiptoe nearer and nearer to getting this ridiculous collar off his neck and make this mortal woman swoon over him— _not_ the other way around. _He_ was the one in control. He had to be.

So he stepped closer, his tread so quiet Jess never heard him approach her.

“So you came to like it. The power of the throne?” She said without looking up. Loki nodded, oblivious to the fact she could not see him. She cursed under her breath when his arm brushed against hers, eliciting a barely noticeable smirk from him. It was amusing how quickly he could read her reactions to him now.

The Trickster swallowed. “I meant to prove myself to the man who never saw me as a potential heir in the first place.”

“How did Thanos find you?” Jess choked out when he moved in closer, demanding all of her attention to himself. It almost scared him how fast she forgot about the massive book on her desk, her eyes fixed on his face as if it bore the answer to all of her questions. Loki’s expression hardened nonetheless, regardless of how much the urge to taste her lips rose within him.

“How much do you know?”

“I know what M told me… that you were his ally and he helped you take over Earth in exchange for the Tesseract.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. “Then you know nothing.” Her glance found his lips now too. He was standing close enough for his warm breath to ghost over her mouth, her heart beating more rapidly with every passing second.

_Fuck._ Her office was being monitored. Sucking in a deep breath, she moved away from him and closed the thick book on her desk shut. “It’s late. We should head to the party.” She cleared her throat. “You can, um… wait for me here so I can get changed. Give me five.”

Loki nodded, taken by surprise until he noticed her glancing at the chunky surveillance camera in the corner of the room. _Ah…_ there it was. The fear or shame or _both_ to be caught being involved with him. Loki gnashed his teeth when she rushed past him, fleeing from the scene. That, at least, was something he was familiar with.

He remained in the office, almost as if glued to the spot, for a while longer before he made his way towards the cafeteria where the festivities would take place. Jess would catch up—besides, so he had to admit, he was indeed looking forward to seeing their faces when he joined the ridiculous little party and what it might give him to work with.

“Really, that’s all? That’s almost a little disappointing.” He heard Dave say in the distance, presumably a few yards away from him, his voice ricocheting through the dark hallway.

Loki stopped dead in his tracks. As silent as a mouse, he leaned against the wall, melted into it almost, and slowed down his breathing.

“Yes…” Another voice that Loki identified as Mobius’, replied. “We did take a risk with them but I must admit, I too almost expected a little… more. I thought one of them might… feel something, you know—a connection or recognition, maybe.” Loki could hear his suit ruffle as he shrugged. “Well, timelines can be unpredictable. We do know that better than anyone else.”

_Connection. Recognition?_ For some peculiar reason, he was certain the pair were speaking about him. Him and… Jess? Who else could they possibly mean? His gut feeling, however, told him that he should, seidr or not, get rid of the security footage in Jess’ office as soon as possible. Whatever it was Mobius wanted to see unfolding between them, he was not going to grant him the satisfaction of presenting it to him on a silver platter.

Fortunately enough, they were too far away to hear him, he realised that once more when Jess’ footsteps echoed through the hallway. He knew it was her without even looking behind himself and yet, found his heart skipping a beat when she touched his arm.

“Ready? You know they might give you suspicious looks as soon as you… what are you doing?”

Loki gave her a disarming smile. “Nothing. Shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Put your swords up, put ‘em up; it’s going down.

**Author's Note:**

> And Scene! So what do you think, what do you think, what do you think? 🤯 I’m so excited to dive into this story! I literally recorded myself on my phone in the middle of the night a while back when all the ideas I had finally came together so I hope I’ll be taking you on an exciting journey with me!


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